ETHISPHERE NAMES GRAINGER AS ONE OF THE 2025 WORLD'S MOST ETHICAL COMPANIES®

Rhea-AI Summary

Grainger (NYSE: GWW), a leading MRO products distributor, has been recognized as one of the 2025 World's Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere in its first-ever application. The company is among just four honorees in its industry, out of 136 total honorees across 19 countries and 44 industries.

The recognition highlights Grainger's commitment to business integrity through robust ethics, compliance, and governance programs. Companies recognized in the 2025 list outperformed a comparable index of global companies by 7.8 percentage points from January 2020 to January 2025.

The assessment process involves evaluation of 240+ proof points through Ethisphere's Ethics Quotient®, covering areas including ethics and compliance practices, governance, culture of ethics, environmental and social impact, and value chain initiatives.

Positive

• First-time recognition as one of World's Most Ethical Companies demonstrates strong governance practices
• Outperformed comparable market index by 7.8 percentage points over 5-year period
• One of only four companies recognized in its industry, showing competitive advantage

Negative

• None.

News Market Reaction – GWW

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-3.38% News Effect

On the day this news was published, GWW declined 3.38%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Annual recognition honors organizations committed to business integrity through robust ethics, compliance, and governance programs

CHICAGO, March 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Grainger (NYSE: GWW), a leading broad line distributor of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products serving businesses and institutions, has received the 2025 World's Most Ethical Companies® recognition by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.

This is Grainger's first time applying for and receiving this recognition, placing Grainger as one of only four honorees in its industry. In 2025, 136 honorees were recognized spanning 19 countries and 44 industries. 

"Doing the right thing not only informs how we do business, but also how we treat one another," said Nancy Berardinelli-Krantz, Grainger's SVP and Chief Legal Officer. "Operating with integrity has been core to who we are for almost a century and is essential to our long-term success." 

"Congratulations to Grainger for achieving recognition as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies®. Behind this honor is a true dedication and a commitment to advancing business integrity. This approach is good for business – employees and other stakeholders value companies that prioritize the kinds of practices we measure with our process," said Erica Salmon Byrne, Ethisphere's Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Chair.  

Ethics & Performance: The Ethics Premium 
The listed 2025 World's Most Ethical Companies® Honorees outperformed a comparable index of global companies by 7.8 percentage points from January 2020 to January 2025. 

Methodology & Scoring 
The World's Most Ethical Companies assessment is grounded in Ethisphere's proprietary Ethics Quotient®, which requires companies to provide 240+ different proof points on practices that support robust ethics and compliance; governance; a culture of ethics; environmental and social impact; and initiatives that support a strong value chain. That data undergoes further qualitative analysis by a panel of experts who spend thousands of hours vetting and evaluating each year's group of applicants. This process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify best-in-class ethics and compliance practices from organizations across industries and from around the world. 

Honorees
To view the full list of this year's honorees, please visit the World's Most Ethical Companies website, at https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees. 

About Grainger
W.W. Grainger, Inc., is a leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America, Japan and the United Kingdom. At Grainger, We Keep the World Working® by serving more than 4.5 million customers worldwide with products and solutions delivered through innovative technology and deep customer relationships. Known for its commitment to service and award-winning culture, the Company had 2024 revenue of $17.2 billion across its two business models. In the High-Touch Solutions segment, Grainger offers approximately 2 million maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products and services, including technical support and inventory management. In the Endless Assortment segment, Zoro.com offers customers access to more than 14 million products, and MonotaRO.com offers more than 24 million products. For more information, visit www.grainger.com.  

About Ethisphere
Ethisphere is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that strengthen corporate brands, build trust in the marketplace, and deliver business success. Companies turn ethics, compliance, and culture into a business advantage by leveraging Ethisphere's data-driven program and culture assessments featuring the latest guidance and the practices of hundreds of global organizations across the 8 pillars of an ethical culture, and 240+ ethics, compliance, social, and governance data points delivered through a proprietary software platform. Ethisphere also honors superior integrity programs through World's Most Ethical Companies® recognition, brings together a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), and advances ethical business practices through the Global Ethics Summit, Ethisphere Magazine and the Ethicast podcast. For more information, visit https://ethisphere.com. 

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SOURCE W.W. Grainger, Inc.

FAQ

How did Grainger (GWW) perform compared to other companies as a World's Most Ethical Company?

Grainger, along with other 2025 honorees, outperformed comparable global companies by 7.8 percentage points from January 2020 to January 2025.

What criteria did GWW meet to receive the 2025 World's Most Ethical Companies recognition?

Grainger was evaluated on 240+ proof points through Ethisphere's Ethics Quotient®, covering ethics, compliance, governance, culture, environmental and social impact, and value chain initiatives.

How many companies were recognized alongside Grainger (GWW) in the 2025 World's Most Ethical Companies list?

136 companies were recognized across 19 countries and 44 industries, with Grainger being one of only four honorees in its industry.

Is this Grainger's (GWW) first time receiving the World's Most Ethical Companies recognition?

Yes, 2025 marks Grainger's first time both applying for and receiving this recognition from Ethisphere.